\nIslamabad:The Society for the Protection of the Rights of the Child (SPARC), in collaboration with the Commonwealth of Learning (COL) and Bedari, with the support of Global Affairs Canada (GAC), successfully concluded the three year Empowering Women & Girls (EWG) Project. The project completion ceremony brought together policymakers, government officials, development partners, civil society organizations, academia, journalists, community leaders, and project beneficiaries to celebrate its achievements, reflect on key lessons learned, and reaffirm a shared commitment to advancing gender equality and empowering women and girls across Pakistan.
\nEngineer Gul Asghar Khan Baghoor, Parliamentary Secretary Ministry of Communication commended the significant achievements of the Empowering Women & Girls (EWG) Project, highlighting its tangible and lasting impact across the districts where it was implemented. He praised the collaborative efforts of the project partners in expanding access to education, strengthening livelihoods, and advancing gender equality at the community level. Reaffirming his support for women’s empowerment, he emphasized the importance of sustaining such initiatives to promote inclusive development and create greater opportunities for women and girls across Pakistan.
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Dr. Shazia Sobia Aslam Soomro appreciated the creativity, resilience, and entrepreneurial potential demonstrated by the women beneficiaries during the exhibition showcase. She expressed her commitment to facilitating a similar exhibition at Parliament House, providing women entrepreneurs with a broader platform to showcase their products, connect with wider audiences, and expand their businesses. She also reaffirmed her support for initiatives that promote women’s economic empowerment and create sustainable opportunities for their growth and development.\nMs. Noureen Bano Lehri appreciated the Empowering Women & Girls (EWG) Project for its holistic and community driven approach to advancing the rights and empowerment of women and girls. She emphasized the importance of integrating the project’s successful models and best practices into national policies and institutional frameworks to ensure their sustainability and expand their impact across Pakistan. She also reaffirmed the National Commission on the Status of Women’s commitment to supporting initiatives that promote gender equality and women’s empowerment.
\nMs. Sasha Oliveira commended the significant achievements of the Empowering Women & Girls (EWG) Project over the past three years. She noted that the partnership between Global Affairs Canada, the Commonwealth of Learning, SPARC, and Bedari had contributed to expanding educational opportunities, strengthening livelihoods, promoting gender equality, and advancing the rights of women and girls in Pakistan. She emphasized that sustainable development is driven by empowering local organizations to lead community-based solutions and reaffirmed Canada’s commitment to supporting initiatives that create lasting opportunities for women and girls.
\nMs. Frances Ferreira, Senior Adviser, Empowering Women & Girls (EWG) Project, Commonwealth of Learning (COL), reflected on the successful completion of the Empowering Women and Girls in the Commonwealth initiative, highlighting that it was driven by a shared commitment to advancing the rights, education, and economic empowerment of women and girls. She appreciated the strong collaboration between the Commonwealth of Learning, Global Affairs Canada, SPARC, Bedari, and local stakeholders, noting that the project’s community centered approach has empowered women and girls while generating lasting positive impacts for families, communities, and society at large.
\nMs. Asiya Arif Khan, Executive Director, SPARC, highlighted the transformative impact of the project in creating opportunities for women and girls through education, skills development, and community engagement. She emphasized that the project’s success reflects the power of strong partnerships and collective action in addressing barriers to equality and creating sustainable pathways for empowerment.
\nMs. Anbreen Ajaib, Executive Director, Bedari, commended the strong collaboration among the project partners, noting that the success of the Empowering Women & Girls Project is a testament to their shared commitment to advancing opportunities for women and girls. She emphasized that strong community partnerships and locally driven interventions have established a solid foundation for sustainable and long-term change.
\nMs. Sabeen Almas, Program Manager at SPARC, highlighted the significant achievements of the project in the areas of education, economic empowerment, and community engagement. She shared that more than 10,000 girls and boys were reintegrated into formal education and Open Schooling pathways, while over 77,000 women and girls received vocational and labour market skills training to strengthen their economic independence. She further noted that the project engaged more than 465,000 women and girls through awareness sessions on human rights and gender equality and reached over one million people through public campaigns promoting women’s rights, education, and social inclusion.
\nMs. Huma Akhtar Chughtai, Member of the National Assembly, Mr. Ghazanfar Budhal, District Task Force members, Dr. Zahid Majeed, Director, International Collaboration and Academic Planning, Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU) and Ms. Komal Ijaz, Assistant Director, Shelter Home, Multan, also spoke at the event. They highlighted the positive changes witnessed at the grassroots level, particularly in raising awareness, promoting girls’ education, and enhancing women’s participation in community development through sustained engagement with local stakeholders.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"